VI. British Weekends.

EXERCISE 1. . Read, translate and study the use of the new words to read and discuss the texts:

1. to worship; Sunday was the one day of the week for 'worship and rest'.

2. leisure; Popular leisure activities on Sunday used to be going to church and doing odd jobs around the home such as gardening and DIY.

3. indoor and outdoor activities; People enjoy various indoor and outdoor activities in Britain.

4. digital; The proportion of households using satellite, cable or digital television was 44 per cent in 2002.

5. compulsive; A newspaper survey found that 20 per cent of women are compulsive shoppers.

6. physical recreation; Sports and physical recreation have always been popular.

7. to derive; American Football derived from our game of Rugby.

8. strawberries; It is traditional for visitors to eat strawberries and cream whilst they watch the tennis.

9. female; Netball is the largest female team sport in England.

10. to regard; Scotland is traditionally regarded as the home of golf.

11. greyhound racing; Horse racing and greyhound racing are popular spectator sports.

1. to place bets; People can place bets on the races at legal off-track betting shops.

2. equestrian; Another equestrian sport is polo, brought to Britain from India in the 19th century by army officers.

3. rowing; In the nineteenth century, students at Oxford and Cambridge, Britain's two oldest universities, were huge fans of rowing.

4. huntsmen; huntswomen; The huntsmen and huntswomen ride horses.

5. stately homes; There are many stately homes, museums, beaches and beautiful parts of the countryside to visit.

EXERCISE 2. Match each word with its correct definition:

Accident, to brew, range, to purchase, consent, licence, to obtain, a fine, to consume

• permission, approval, or agreement;

• an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally;

• a sum of money imposed as a penalty for an offense;

• to make beer;

• to acquire by the payment of money; to buy;

• the limits between which the variation is possible;

• to eat or drink up;

• a formal permission from authorities to do something;

• to get

EXERCISE 3. Read the texts and try to focus on its essential facts:

What do British people like doing at the weekends ?

The weekends are a time for families in Britain. Often the parents are not at work having worked a five day week from Monday to Friday. Saturdays are a busy time for shops with many families going shopping.

Sundays used to be a very special day of the week in Britain. It was the one day of the week for 'worship and rest'. The shops were closed and most people were at home or at church. Popular leisure activities on Sunday used to be going to church and doing odd jobs around the home such as gardening and DIY.

Until a few years ago shops were not permitted to open on a Sunday. Sundays today are becoming like any other day other week with shops open. Some families will now spend their time shopping rather than going to church or they will combine the two activities.

Britain is becoming a far less Christian country with fewer people regularly attending Church. Many Christian's believe that Sunday should be kept special, as a time given to worshipping God. They think it is important for Christians to meet together, listen to readings from the Bible and celebrate Holy Communion. Others believe that it is important that families have time to be together. (The shopping hours on a Sunday are less than on any other day of the week.)

How do people spend their free time?

People enjoy various indoor and outdoor activities in Britain.

An Euro stat survey, the EU's statistical office, discovered that people in Britain spend about 45% of their free time watching television, 24% of their free time socializing, 22-23% on sport and hobbies, and 10% on other activities. Other popular leisure activities are listening to the radio, listening to pre-recorded music, reading, DIY, gardening, eating out and going to the cinema.

Television

The most common leisure activity in the UK is watching television. The average viewing time is 25 hours per person per week. Almost all households have at least one television set. The proportion of households using satellite, cable or digital television was 44 per cent in 2002. Many television programmes are about wildlife, animals, holidays, cooking and gardening. All these things are much cherished by British people.

Radio

People in Britain listen to an average 15 hours and 50 minutes of radio each week.

( The only radio I listen to is the Top 40. I like to find out who is number one in the pop charts each week.)

Digital Devices

In 2005/06, 88 per cent of UK households had a CD player and 79 per cent a mobile phone. In April to June 2006, 26 per cent of people aged 15 and over owned an MP3 player.

In January to April 2006, 56 per cent of households in Great Britain had a desktop computer, 30 per cent had a portable or laptop computer, and 7 per cent had a handheld computer.

statistics.gov.uk

Cinema (Movie house)

Britons made 123 million visits to the cinema in 1998 making it the most popular cultural activity in the UK.

Eating out has grown in popularity, with British people spending in 1999 an average of £5.63 per person per week on food (excluding alcohol) outside the home.

Homes and Gardens

The British are known as a nation of gardeners. Most people have a garden on their property. Gardening has been a popular pastime since Roman times. Many people in Britain are proud of their houses and gardens. They want their houses and gardens to look nice. Every town in Britain has one or more DIY (Do it Yourself) centres and garden centres. These are like supermarkets for the home and garden. These places are very popular with British home-owners at the weekends.

Activities outside the home

Saturday is traditionally the day for shopping and watching sports.

A newspaper survey found that 20 per cent of women are compulsive shoppers.

Saturday is the main day when we go shopping. Sometimes we will go into town after school.

Sports and physical recreation have always been popular. Local governments provide cheap sport and leisure facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, parks and golf courses. People go to watch other people play sports like football or take part in sports themselves.

Many of the world's famous sports began in Britain, including cricket, football, lawn tennis, golf and rugby.

England's national sport is cricket although to many people football (soccer) is seen as our national sport. Football is our most popular sport. Some of England's football teams are world famous, the most famous being Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Cricket is played on village greens and in towns/cities on Sundays from April to August

The rules of cricket became the responsibility, in the 18th century, of the Marylebone Cricket Club(MCC), based at Lord’s cricket ground in north London.

How to play Cricket

Teams are made up of 11 players each. They play with a ball slightly smaller than a baseball and a bat shaped like a paddle. Two batters stand in front of wickets, set about 20 metres apart. Each wicket consists of three wooden rods (stumps) pushed into the ground, with two small pieces of wood (bails) balanced on top. A member of the opposing team (the bowler) throws the ball towards one of the batters, who must hit the ball so that it does not knock a bail off the wicket. If the ball travels far enough, the two batters run back and forth between the wickets while the fielders on the opposing team try to catch the ball. The game is scored according to the number of runs, which is the number of times the batters exchange places.

Football (Soccer)

Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in England, and has been played for hundreds of years.

In the English Football League there are 92 professional clubs. These are semi-professional, so most players have other full-time jobs. Hundreds of thousands of people also play football in parks and playgrounds just for fun.

The highlight of the English football year is the FA (Football Association) Cup Final each May. Did you know?

The first set of laws of the game of football, or soccer as it is known in the US, date from the formation of The Football Association in England in 1863.

Rugby

Rugby originated from Rugby school in Warwickshire. It is similar to football, but played with an oval ball. Players can carry the ball and tackle each other. The best rugby teams compete in the Super League final each September.

For many years Rugby was only played by the rich upper classes, but now it is popular all over the country. There are two different types of rugby - Rugby League, played mainly in the north of England, and Rugby Union, played in the rest of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, together with France and Italy, play in an annual tournament called the Six Nations.

American Football derived from our game of Rugby also Baseball derived from the old English game of Rounders.

Tennis

The world's most famous tennis tournament is Wimbledon. It started at a small club in south London in the nineteenth century. It begins on the nearest Monday to June 22, at a time when English often have the finest weather. Millions of people watch the Championships on TV live.

It is traditional for visitors to eat strawberries and cream whilst they watch the tennis.

Did you know?

Wimbledon is the oldest of all the major tennis tournaments beginning in 1877. The rewards of prize money began in 1968 when the total purse allocated was £26,150 (about $40,000).

Netball

Netball is the largest female team sport in England. The sport is played almost exclusively by women and girls, although male participation has increased in recent years.

Basketball

Over 3 million people participate in basketball in the UK.

Golf

Scotland is traditionally regarded as the home of golf. There are over 400 golf courses in Scotland alone. The most important golf club in Scotland is in the seaside town of St. Andrews, near Dundee.

Horse racing

Horseracing, the sport of Kings is a very popular sport with meetings being held every day throughout the year. The Derby originated here, as did The Grand National which is the hardest horse race in the world.

Horse racing and greyhound racing are popular spectator sports. People can place bets on the races at legal off-track betting shops. Some of the best-known horse races are held at Ascot, Newmarket, Goodwood and Epsom.

Ascot, a small town in the south of England, becomes the centre of horse-racing world for one week in June. It's called Royal Ascot because the Queen always goes to Ascot. She has a lot of racehorses and likes to watch racing.

Polo

Another equestrian sport is polo, brought to Britain from India in the 19th century by army officers. It is the fastest ball sport in the world.

Polo is played with four men on horses to a team. A ball is hit with a stick towards the goal, one at each end of a 300 yard long by 160 yard wide field.

Table Tennis (ping pong)

Table tennis was invented in England in 1880. It began with Cambridge University students using cigar boxes and champagne corks.

Although the game originated in England, British players don't have much luck in international championships.

Badminton

Badminton takes its name from the Duke of Beaufort’s country home, Badminton House, where the sport was first played in the 19th century.

University Boat Race

In the nineteenth century, students at Oxford and Cambridge, Britain's two oldest universities, were huge fans of rowing. In 1829, the two schools agreed to hold a race against each other for the first time on the Thames River. The Oxford boat won and a tradition was born. Today, the University Boat Race is held every spring in either late March or early April.

Fishing (Angling)

Angling is one of the most popular sports in the UK, with an estimated 3.3 million people participating in the sport on a regular basis. Fishermen can be seen sitting beside rivers and lakes.

Bowls

The two main forms of bowls are lawn flat green (outdoor and indoor) and crown green.

Boxing

Boxing in its modern form is based on the rules established by the Marquess of Queensberry in 1865. In the UK boxing is both amateur and professional, and strict medical regulations are applied in both.

Swimming

Swimming is also a popular pastime and enjoyed by people of all ages.

Martial arts

Various martial arts, mainly derived from the Far East, are practised in the UK, such as judo and karate.

Darts

Darts is a very popular pub game. The game of darts, as it is today, was invented in the north of England in a town called Grimsby. However, the origins of the game date back to at least the Middle Ages.

Boxing Day Hunts

Traditionally Boxing Day is a day for fox hunting. The huntsmen and huntswomen ride horses. They use dogs too. The dogs (fox hounds) follow the smell of the fox. Then the huntsmen and huntswomen follow the hounds.

Before a Boxing Day hunt, the huntsmen and huntswomen drink hot wine. But the tradition of the December 26th is changing. Now, some people want to stop Boxing Day hunts (and other hunts too). They don't like fox hunting. For them it is not a sport - it is cruel.

What do children do during their free time?

Children enjoy playing and watching sports such as football, cricket, tennis and netball.

Clubs

Many children belong to clubs such as Cub Scouts, Brownies, Boys Brigade, St Johns Ambulance, Judo, Karate, Dance and Youth Clubs.

Other popular activities include watching television, playing computer games, cycling and skateboarding.

Sightseeing

Families enjoy going sightseeing at the weekends and during the school holidays. There are many stately homes, museums, beaches and beautiful parts of the countryside to visit.

What type of games or sports do teenagers play for fun in England?

Skateboarding, roller blading, football, basketball, mountain biking, karate, judo, tenpin bowling, computer games, play station games, nintendo games.

What is a pub?

The word pub is short for public house. There are over 60,000 pubs in the UK (53,000 in England and Wales, 5,200 in Scotland and 1,600 in Northern Ireland). One of the oldest pubs, Fighting Cocks in St. Albans, Herts, is located in a building that dates back to the eleventh century.

Pubs are popular social meeting places. Pubs are an important part of British life. People talk, eat, drink, meet their friends and relax there. Pubs often have two bars, one usually quieter than the other, many have a garden where people can sit in the summer. Children can go in pub gardens with their parents. Groups of friends normally buy 'rounds' of drinks, where the person whose turn it is will buy drinks for all the members of the group. It is sometimes difficult to get served when pubs are busy: people do not queue, but the bar staff will usually try and serve those who have been waiting the longest at the bar first. If you spill a stranger's drink by accident, it is good manners (and prudent) to offer to buy another drink.

British Beer

Most pubs belong to a brewery (a company which makes beer) but sell many different kinds of beer, some on tap (from a big container under the bar) and some in bottles. The most popular kind of British beer is bitter, which is dark and served at room temperature (not hot, not cold). British beer is brewed from malt and hops. More popular today though is lager, which is lighter in colour and served cold. Guinness, a very dark, creamy kind of beer called a stout, is made in Ireland and is popular all over Britain.

In the West of England, cider made from apples, is very popular. Like wine, it is described as sweet or dry, but is drunk in beer glasses and can be stronger than beer.

Beers are served in "pints" for a large glass and "halves" for a smaller one.

Other Beers served

Most pubs offer a complete range of beers, local and imported, with German, Belgian and French beers being in demand.

Pubs sell soft drinks as well as alcohol.

Although most people think pubs are places where people drink alcohol, pubs in fact sell soft drinks (non alcoholic) drinks too.

British people drink an average of 99.4 litres of beer every year. More than 80% of this beer is drunk in pubs and clubs.

Opening Hours

British pubs are required to have a licence, which is difficult to obtain, and allows the pub to operate for up to 24 hours. Most pubs are open from 11 to 11.

Pub Food

Nearly all pubs sell pub lunches. One of these is the Ploughman's Lunch which is a great wedge of Cheddar cheese, some bread, some pickle, and an onion. Other typical pub foods are scampi (kind of shellfish) and chips (fried potatoes), pie and chips, and chicken and chips.

Pub Names

Pubs have traditional names which date back over 600 years.

Some typical names are The Chequers, The White Swan, The Crown, The King's Arms, The Red Lion and The White Horse. People often refer to the pub by its name when giving directions: Turn left at the Rose and Crown. There is usually a sign outside the pub showing the pub's name with a picture.

Various games, especially darts, are common features of pubs; many of the old country pubs continue to promote traditional games, such as 'Bat and Trap' (played in Kent) which have been played for hundreds of years.

Licensing Laws

The legal age to purchase alcohol is 18. People aged 16 and 17, with the licensee's permission, may consume only 1 glass of wine, beer or cider with a table meal in specific areas of the premises, providing they're with an adult and the adult orders it (England & Wales only, Scotland no adult required to be present).

It is illegal to sell alcohol to someone who already appears drunk. You may not buy alcohol for a drunk person on licensed premises. All off-sales are advised to ask for photographic ID if the person looks under 21. Purchasing alcohol on behalf of a minor will result in an £80 on-the-spot fine.

Fourteen-year-olds may enter a pub unaccompanied by an adult if they order a meal. Children may enter a pub with their parents until 9 p.m., which lets families enjoy reasonably priced pub meals together, and allows pubs to continue in their traditional roles as community centers.

Legal age for drinking alcohol at home.

The legal age for drinking in one's home is 5 provided parental consent is given. Children under 5 must not be given alcohol unless under medical supervision in an emergency.

Customs

Customs in British pubs differ from those in American bars. In most pubs in Britain, you must go to the bar to order drinks and food and pay for your purchase immediately, there is no table service. Bartenders are called "barmen" and "barmaids" and they do not expect frequent tipping. To tip a barman or barmaid, it is customary to tell him to "would you like a drink yourself?"

Some pubs have a waiting service, where orders are taken by waiters at the tables and not paid for immediately. There is usually a sign in the pub which tells you that diners will be served at the table. It is customary to tip your waiter/waitress at the end of the meal (approx 10%). Sometimes this is included in the bill.

The landlord is the owner/ one in charge of the pub.

British Traditional Foods.

British food has traditionally been based on beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish and generally served with potatoes and one other vegetable. The most common and typical foods eaten in Britain include the sandwich, fish and chips, pies like the cornish pasty, trifle and roasts dinners. Some of our main dishes have strange names like Bubble & Squeak and Toad-in-the-Hole.

The staple foods of Britain are meat, fish, potatoes, flour, butter and eggs. Many of our dishes are based on these foods.

Traditional British dishes have had competition from other dishes over the years. Despite this, if you visit England, Scotland or Wales, you can still be served up the traditional foods we have been eating for years.

This page contains some of England's most popular traditional dishes.

"Harry’s mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, for some strange reason, mint humbugs."

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J. K. Rowling

Main meal dishes in England: Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Toad-in-the-Hole,

Roast Meats, Fish and Chips, Ploughman's Lunch,

Cottage Pie, Shepherd's Pie, Gammon Steak with egg,

Lancashire Hotpot, Bubble and Squeak, English Breakfast,

Bangers and Mash, Black Pudding, Bacon Roly-Poly,

Cumberland Sausage Pie and Mash with parsley liquor.

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding

This is England's traditional Sunday lunch, which is a family affair.

This dish is not usually eaten as a dessert like other puddings but instead as part of the main course or at a starter.

Yorkshire pudding, made from flour, eggs and milk, is a sort of batter baked in the oven and usually moistened with gravy.

The traditional way to eat a Yorkshire pudding is to have a large, flat one filled with gravy and vegetables as a starter of the meal. Then when the meal is over, any unused puddings should be served with jam or ice-cream as a dessert.

Meals and Meal Times.

Some people have their biggest meal in the middle of the day and some have it in the evening, but most people today have a small mid-day meal - usually sandwiches, and perhaps some crisps and some fruit.

We have three main meals a day:

Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,

Lunch - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.

Dinner (sometimes called Supper) - The main meal. Eaten anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (Evening meal)

Traditionally, and for some people still, the meals are called:

Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,

Dinner (The main meal) - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.

Tea - anywhere from 5:30 at night to 6:30 p.m.

On Sundays the main meal of the day is often eaten at midday instead of in the evening. This meal usually is a Roast Dinner consisting of a roast meat, yorkshire pudding and two or three kinds of vegetables.

BREAKFAST

What is a typical English Breakfast?

Most people around the world seem to think a typical English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans all washed down with a cup of coffee. Now-a-days, however, a typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast, orange juice and a cup of coffee.

Many people, especially children, in England will eat a bowl of cereal. They are made with different grains such as corn, wheat, oats etc.

In the winter many people will eat "porridge" or boiled oats.

What is the traditional English Breakfast?

The traditional English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, baked beans and mushrooms. Even though not many people will eat this for breakfast today, it is always served in hotels and guest houses around Britain.

The traditional English breakfast is called the 'Full English' and sometimes referred to as 'The Full English Fry-up'.

LUNCH

What is a typical British lunch?

Many children at school and adults at work will have a 'packed lunch'. This typically consists of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a drink. The 'packed lunch' is kept in a plastic container.

Sandwiches are also known as a 'butty' or 'sarnie' in some parts of the UK.

(My favourite sandwich is prawn and mayonnaise. I also love tuna and mayonnaise and ham and pickle sandwiches.)

DINNER

The evening meal is usually called 'tea', 'dinner' or 'supper'.

What is a traditional British Dinner?

A typical British meal for dinner is "meat and two veg". We put hot brown gravy, (traditionally made from the juices of the roast meat, but more often today from a packet!) on the meat and usually the vegetables. One of the vegetables is almost always potatoes.

What is a typical British Dinner like today?

The traditional meal is rarely eaten nowadays, apart from on Sundays. A recent survey found that most people in Britain eat curry! Rice or pasta dishes are now favoured as the 'British Dinner'.

Vegetables grown in England, like potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbages and onions, are still very popular.

The Sunday Roast Dinner

Sunday lunch time is a typical time to eat the traditional Sunday Roast.

Traditionally it consists of roast meat, (cooked in the oven for about two hours), two different kinds of vegetables and potatoes with a Yorkshire pudding. The most common joints are beef, lamb or pork; chicken is also popular.

Beef is eaten with hot white horseradish sauce, pork with sweet apple sauce and lamb with green mint sauce. Gravy is poured over the meat.

EXERCISE 4.Answer the questions:

1. How do British people spend their free time?

2. What is the most common leisure activity in the UK?

3. When do people usually go shopping?

4. What is England’s favourite sport?

5. Do you know how to play cricket?

6. What is the most popular sport in England?

7. What is rugby?

8. Where does the world’s most famous tennis tournament take place?

9. What country is traditionally regarded as the home of golf?

1. Horseracing is the sport of Kings, isn’t it?

2. Where are the best-known horse races held?

3. What do children do during their free time?

4. What types of games and sports do teenagers play for fun in England?

5. What is a pub?

6. What are traditional British dishes?

7. When do people usually have their meals?

8. What is a typical English breakfast/ lunch/ dinner?

EXERCISE 5. Make up your own sentences using the vocabulary from Ex.1 and Ex.2.

EXERCISE 6. Be ready to speak on one of the following topics:

1. Sports in Britain.

2. British Pubs.

3. Traditional British food.